This talk was presented during the Arab EmTech and Startup Conference on 16th Nov 2020. It highlights the UAE efforts to grow Tech entrepreneurs and Emiratis unicorns, and create the ecosystem for tech entrepreneurship. It highlights some lessons for the Arab world

1. HOW TO GROW TECH
ENTREPRENEURS IN THE UAE AND
THE ARAB WORLD
Dr. Saeed Aldhaheri
Chairman of Smartworld L.L.C
@DDSaeed
Arab EmTech and Startups Conference, Live, 16-18 November 2020

2. My Expert
Assessment
Invited to participate at the 2019/2020 National
Expert Survey of the Global Entrepreneurship
Monitor GEM for the state of entrepreneurship
in UAE.

3. UAE Leadership Philosophy
• Vision: best country in the world by
2071
• Speed is the name of the game - Agility
• Technology is to improve quality of life
– happiness
• Human capital and talent are the
future of the country
• Future-focused: towards the next 50
• More Emiratis’ with high aspiration to
make a difference in the world
The Fifty-year Charter
Article 6: Free economic and creative zones in universities
“the end goal is not only graduating students but also
graduating companies”

4. UAE
Entrepreneurship
and Start-ups by
Numbers
UAE is 26globally and 3rd regionally in the Global
Entrepreneurship Index. GEI 2018
UAE is 1st in Innovation in the Arab world and 34 Globally. GII 2020
UAE is 11th in the world in the ease of doing business. World bank 2019
22% of the Arab world 100 most promising Tech start-ups are
in the UAE. The 100 Arab Start-ups shaping the 4IR, WEF and BEDB
3% or less are Emiratis entrepreneurs. Wamda
60% of the MENA $704 million invested in startups in 2019
were in the UAE.
14%or less are female entrepreneurs from UAE. MAGniTT

5. Why TECH
Entrepreneurs and
Startups Matter?
• Accelerate innovation, create jobs
and foster economic growth
• UAE vision 2021: transitioning into
a knowledge-based economy
• COVID-19 Impact:
• Risk losing 1.7m jobs. UN estimate
• Digital job market has potential to
create 1.3 million additional digital
jobs in the GCC by 2025.
Strategy& and LinkedIn report 2017
Source: GEI 2018 report

6. UAE Digital Start-ups
• UAE Tech Start-ups:
• e-commerce (amazon.ae, noon.com)
• Marketplaces (propertyfinder.ae)
• Fintech (Beehive, yallacompare)
• Using online platforms and apps
• Technologies:
• Cloud, AI, Blockchain, IoT,,,etc Unicorns (valued > $1 billion)
Next desert unicorn

7. Entrepreneurship
ecosystem
• Strong areas ( 80< %)
• production innovation (100%)
• Networking (100%)
• High growth (90%)
• Internationlization (90%)
• ICT Infrastructure
• VC availability
• Culture (84%)
• Medium
• Institution quality (75%)
• Weakness:
• Technology absorption (18%)
• startup skills (29%)
• Risk acceptance (32%)
GEI 2018 Score

8. UAE Government is an Example for
the Arab World in supporting
Entrepreneurial activities
• Strong commitment to develop entrepreneurial ecosystem:
• Khalifa Fund for Enterprise Development
• Provide seed Funding for UAE nationals, advisory and mentorship
• Dubai SME
• Policy: allocate 20% of gov tenders to SMEs
• Dubai SME100: receive Gov support to grow and scale-up
• Sharjah Entrepreneurship Center (Sherra)
• Entrepreneurship Awards & competitions
• Mohammed bin Rashid Award for young business leaders (Arab
world)
• PITCH@PALACE UAE: an initiative by the Duke of York
• Emirati winners to pitch their ideas at St. James Palace in London
• Dubai Young Entrepreneurs Competition
• High school and college students

9. Emirati Development
Program:
developing next generation
tech Entrepreneurs
• Identify, develop and mentor Emirati talent
• Focus on knowledge and skills
• Aspiring entrepreneurs: Unique ideas +
ambition + passion
• Focus areas: technology: AI,
Blockchain,,,etc
• Incentive package
• Target: 150 private sector jobs by 2021

10. Emirati Development Program:
Khalifa Fund Summer Camp: Venutrist
• Khalifa Fund for Enterprise
Development
• summer camp :Venturist (2 weeks) in Abu
Dhabi
• 100 students age 10 – 14 and 14 – 18 years
• empowers youth to understand the
business world from an early age
• Citizens and residents
• Focus on entrepreneurship skills and
problem solving and digital literacy
• Pitching business ideas

11. Emirati startups:
From UAE to the world
• A Govtech startup in innovation
• O1Gov platform
• Consulting, innovation labs (GIIS), skills training, storytelling
• Hybrid business model (online and physical), UAE, Oman, SA
• Partners between Emirati and Sudanese – Saeed Al Dhaheri, Ibrahim &
Mohammed Badawi
• AI engine to analyse source code to accelerate migration to the cloud
• SPLco
• Local Emirati Female Entrepreneur – Salwa Alzahmi
• Founded in EBTEC innovation lab
• its AI-solution becoming international. Used by BT
• A service platform to deliver contactless fuel service to your car through a mobile
app anytime (other services: car wash, engine oil change)
• CAFU
• Local Emirati Entrepreneur – Rashid Al Ghurair
• Service available in Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain
• Scale-up to Oman and Egypt

12. Innovation Parks: Educating and
helping tomorrows Entrepreneurs
• UAEU Science & innovation Park
• Building start-up skills
• Prototyping and commercialization of products
• Ex: patent to recycle carbon residues using
nanotechnology
• HCT 4.0
• First university economic FZ
• Graduating companies and entrepreneurs
• Help Emirati students to establish high-tech startups
• Khalifa Innovation Center
• Commercialization of local high-tech technologies
• Partners: Khalifa University, Khalifa Fund, Mubadala,
Tawazun, Sandooq Al Watan,

13. Tech incubators and
accelerators for start-ups
in the UAE
• Abu Dhabi Hub71
• Ghadan Venture Fund: $145 million by ADIO
• MS, ADIO, ADGM, Softbank
• Dubai Startup hub
• EBTIC
• Etisalat, BT, Khalifa university and ICT Fund
• Focus on AI research and publications
• AREA2071
• Crypt Lab – Masdar City
• Dubai Future accelerator
• Sherra in Sharjah
• Other accelerator programs
• Dtec (Silicon Oasis)
• Techstarts and Astrolabs ( DMCC)
• Womentum accelerator program

14. 100 Arab Start-ups
shaping the 4IR
• WEF and BEDB initiative
• 22 startups from the UAE
• Transforming the region social
and economic fabric
• Speeding up adaption to 4IR
• WEF inviting these startups for
discussion how to shape
regional agenda
Artificial Intelligence
Data and analytics
E-commerce
Education
Financial services
Health
Logistic and transport
Media and entertainment
sustainability

15. Recommendations
for the UAE and
Arab Governments
Bring Entrepreneurship education to the
classroom: Investment in education at all levels in
building the skill sets of tomorrow’s entrepreneurs.
Focused government policies and regulations on
supporting Tech Entrepreneurs and start-ups, with
specific incentives and financing instruments
More cooperation and partnerships between Arab
entrepreneurs and start-up to scale-up
Increase government funding and support to
grow local entrepreneurs and start-ups to resolve
scale-up challenges